The bullet went through Abigail Zwerner’s hand and into her upper chest.
Students and staff at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, are still in shock after a six-year-old boy allegedly shot his teacher on Friday.
Abigail Zwerner was “providing class instruction when the 6-year-old child displayed a firearm, pointed it at her and fired one round,” Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said at a news conference on Monday. “There was no physical struggle or fight.”
It is exceptionally rare for a child so young to initiate this kind of violence. Here’s what we know so far.
An incredible display of courage
Ms. Zwerner was in the middle of teaching on Friday when one of the students, a six-year-old boy, allegedly pulled out a 9-millimeter Taurus handgun. Ms. Zwerner put her hand up, and the gun fired.
The bullet went through Ms. Zwerner’s hand and into her upper chest. According to a witness, she still led her class outside, then turned around to make sure every child was out of danger before making her next move.
“She was still able to get all of her students out of that classroom,” Drew said. “She made sure that every one of those students was safe.”
Only once she was sure that the rest of her first-grade class was OK did Ms. Zwerner — who is just 25 years old — head to the school office to tell them to “call 911,” before collapsing.
Though it’s unclear what the child who shot Ms. Zwerner was thinking, it appears clear that the violence was intentional.
“I believe she did save lives because I don’t know what else might have happened if those kids would have stayed in that room,” Drew added.
The alleged shooter is under a detention order
After the gun was discharged, another school employee entered the classroom and restrained the child until law enforcement arrived.
The boy, who is under a temporary detention order, is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility.
“We have been in contact with our commonwealth attorney and some other entities to help us best get services to this young man,” Drew said Friday.
The firearm he used was bought legally by his mother, officials say — though it is as yet unknown whether it was secured properly at home. As the New York Times notes, leaving a loaded gun accessible to children under the age of 14 is a punishable misdemeanor in Virginia, however the state does not have a broad law requiring all guns to be stored safely at home.
The decision as to whether the boy’s parents may be charged in connection with the incident will be taken in consultation with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. An investigation is ongoing.
An “extraordinarily preventable” tragedy
David Riedman, the founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database, told NBC News: “This is the 17th shooting by someone under 10 years of age in a school. It’s rare for a 6-year-old to pull the trigger.” He added that such tragedies are “extraordinarily” preventable, and do not occur when adults properly secure their guns.
While measures such as metal detectors and random searches are common at the high school level, the focus in elementary schools tends to be on preventing adult aggressors from entering schools. Sadly, it looks as though this strategy may be due a rethink.
“My board members know how I feel about making our schools look anything like a prison,” George Parker III, the superintendent of Newport News Public Schools, told The New York Times. “I want our schools to be great places to educate children. But if we can’t maintain safety, or at least get to the point where we can have an effective and safe school day, kids won’t learn anyway.”
